The issue was discussed here yesterday at a meeting of the state agriculture and food secretaries convened by Union agriculture minister Chaturanan Mishra.
It considered the recommendations made by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) on the price policy for the ensuing rabi season.
The Commission on Agricultural Costs and Pricesis understood to have recommended a hike of only about Rs 25 a quintal in the support price of wheat, but the northern rabi states demanded a much higher increase.The recommendation by the CACP amounts to an enhancement of the procurement price by less than 6 per cent over the previous year's Rs 380 a quintal. The wheat producing states on the other hand, have demanded an increase of 10 per cent or more.
Last year, the Centre had raised wheat procurement price by Rs 20 a quintal, a 5.6 per cent hike. The price in the previous year was Rs 360 a quintal.
The annual increase in wheat price since 1993-94 has been a modest 4.7 to 5.6 per cent. The hikes in the two preceding years was much higher
